Ten Quick Etiquette Tips for Business Lunches

Written by Catherine Franz


Knowing what to do when meeting a prospective client for lunch, or going to lunch withrepparttar boss or colleague can be confusing at times. Here is a quick list of items to remember:

1. Be inrepparttar 104095 present moment with whoever you are with. Limit glancing aroundrepparttar 104096 room. It’s a sign that you are looking for something better. There is nothing worse than having a conversation with someone who is half there.

2. Being on time. This sounds so commonsensical. The percentage of people being late is over 65 percent. Don't push your time torepparttar 104097 last minute before leavingrepparttar 104098 office so you will be late. Take some reading or work with you, arrive early, sit inrepparttar 104099 lobby, and work. Or give yourself some space to think over how you want to approachrepparttar 104100 time together. You introduction, tone, style, or even plan a quick get away ifrepparttar 104101 union isn't working. The memory implant of your lateness will always override any request for forgiveness.

3. Turn off your cell phone before enteringrepparttar 104102 restaurant. No one around you wants to hear your conversation. Even if you let it ring, pick it up and then take it outside. Did you leave your lunch companion alone? This is just plain rude. If you have an "I don't care attitude" about this, I'll tell you a story about a lunch guest of mine who did this andrepparttar 104103 three prospects she was meeting didn't even sit down. They saw her talk, she waved a 1-minute finger single to them, and they turned around and walked out. They wouldn't even answer her phone calls or emails afterwards.

4. If you are woman and this is business, it’s appropriate now to stand up and shakerepparttar 104104 hand of a male. This overridesrepparttar 104105 old rule of staying seated. Ifrepparttar 104106 meeting is for your spouse’s business and you are coming along because other spouses are coming, then you stay seated as your spouse stands up. This rules applies for either gender.

5. Offer your hand and give a firm handshake. Sometimes, people who don't like to shake hands will not meet yours. Don't think anything of it if they don't, this is just their preference. And particularly don't say something cute or funny.

6. Think of an opening statement to make as you are shaking hands. This is part of your first impression, so make it good. Always userepparttar 104107 guest’s first name either atrepparttar 104108 beginning or atrepparttar 104109 end ofrepparttar 104110 statement. For example, "Thank you for takingrepparttar 104111 time to get together today, Catherine." When needing to complete a group of introductions, highest rank rules over gender.

Four Principles of Emerging Market Success

Written by Dan Harris


Emerging markets are high risk and high reward. In my work as an attorney representing Western companies in emerging markets, I have concluded there are four essential elements to emerging market success: a good partner, an open mind, active participation, and extreme patience.

I have seen enough essential similarities between such diverse countries as Russia, Korea (ten years ago when it was still an emerging market country), Vietnam, and evenrepparttar Gambia and Papua New Guinea, to believe certain core generalizations hold true for all or nearly all emerging market nations. Just as a good concept, a strong market, and good execution are necessary in all countries, so too are these four simple principlesrepparttar 104094 keys to success in emerging market nations.

PRINCIPLE ONE: A Good Partner isrepparttar 104095 sine qua non of Success.

The quality ofrepparttar 104096 local partner isrepparttar 104097 indispensable element for emerging market success. So where do you begin?

Start with due diligence. Before doing business with anyone, you must first determine what you need from your partner inrepparttar 104098 particular country in which you will be conducting business. In my experience, foreign companies need a local partner who is effective, cooperative, and (most important of all) trustworthy.

Emerging market countries almost always have less-than-fully-formed legal systems. Their laws are oftentimes slanted towardsrepparttar 104099 government and away from free markets. Their courts are slow and often corrupt. Form takes precedence over substance in ways completely unfamiliar to Westerners. One small technical miscue on your part might eliminate your right to sue your partner for having stolen all of your money. It might even lead to you and your company being kicked out ofrepparttar 104100 country, while your assets remain.

Of course you should do your best to avoid technical miscues, butrepparttar 104101 better strategy is to pick your partner well.

So what should you look for in a local partner? Political connections? Yes and no:

Yes, because you probably will need someone with sufficient dexterity to maneuver around often-suffocating business laws and a bureaucracy that may try to cut in on your business at every turn. No, if you think that is all you will need. Just as inrepparttar 104102 West,repparttar 104103 politically connected are usually more a "government type" than a business person. Partnering with someone in an emerging country with whom you would never consider partnering back home is a mistake. Political clout in emerging market countries is often more effective for avoiding legal responsibility for something like a debt than it is in generating business revenues. I have seen countless instances where a foreign company partners with someone because he "is tight withrepparttar 104104 governor," only to seerepparttar 104105 business crushed byrepparttar 104106 new governor as part of his house cleaning. The best partner is politically connected only torepparttar 104107 extent necessary for business success.

Your partner's character and reputation are your protection in countries whererepparttar 104108 court system is not. Do not partner in any sense of that term without having conducted thorough due diligence.

Get to know your potential partner. If he is legitimate and wants to work with you forrepparttar 104109 long term, he will expect you to want to get to know him better and think nothing of your wanting multiple meetings before signing any deal.

Use every source you have to find out about your potential partner. Check his references, particularly those of other foreign firms with whom he has worked. Hire a local lawyer or investigator to confirm he and his various businesses are in good standing with all creditors and taxing authorities. If your potential partner is in Vladivostok, Russia or Qingdao, China, hiring a lawyer in Moscow or Shanghai will probably not be good enough. Find someone you can trust with contacts where your potential partner conducts business.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use